Starbucks shortens menu by removing 'tall'

Does size really matter ... at the Starbucks drive-though window? Some cheaper sizes are now missing from the menu when you roll up.

— Starbucks has decided to declutter its drive-through menus — by getting rid of its smaller, 12-ounce drink size.

The coffee giant said Wednesday that its drive-through menus now generally only show customers the option of two of its larger sizes: The 16-ounce “grande” or 20-ounce “venti” coffee drinks.

Starbucks spokeswoman Deb Trevino said the company decided to do away with the 12-ounce “tall” size as part of an effort to simplify its menu from the previous more cluttered version.

The new menus were rolled out nationwide and in Canada on Aug. 31. They feature about 25 items, compared with 75 previously.

Trevino said the new menus only show the most popular drinks and food items, and that customers do more frequently order the larger sizes.

She rejected the notion that the change steers customers to more expensive items, noting that there are value items on the menus as well.

“Some of our most popular items are also lower-priced items,” she said.

Trevino said that customer can still order a 12-ounce drink, even though it doesn’t appear on the menu. The new menu encourages customers to ask if they don’t see what they want on the menu, including another size.

Starbucks also offers an even smaller, 8-ounce drink size, if customers ask for it.